Detailed Topline Survey and Interviews Results To help the public relations industry embrace a diverse and inclusive culture for recruitment and retention of talent, this study aims to understand the Arthur W. Page Society members definition of diversity and inclusion, their best diversity and inclusion management practices, in particular, the practices related to recruitment and retention of talent from under-represented groups, how they evaluate their D&I initiatives, and what makes those best practices work. This study is based on a quantitative survey of 82 members. Follow-up qualitative in-depth interviews were also conducted with selected Page members who have been effectively implementing their “best practices� activities/ actions for D&I.
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Current Team Diversity
Gender DISSATISFACTION WITH CURRENT DIVERSITY WITHIN US COMMUNICATION TEAMS Gender diversity on teams skews heavily female and Caucasian, although leadership teams still skew male. Racial and ethnic diversity among communication teams are lower in proportion to the US population. Below are the average estimates of demographics of the communication teams of those Page members surveyed.
Nationality US citizens
29%
80%
Non-US citizens 10%
59%
Race/Ethnicity
About 53% of the 80 organizations reported dissatisfaction with the level of diversity in their organization:
Satisfied (n=11) Somewhat satisfied (n=17) Neutral/neither satisfied nor dissatisfied(n=8) Somewhat dissatisfied(n=29)
Black/African Americans Asian/Pacific Islanders
5% 6%
Native Americans/ Alaskans/Hawaiians
68% Mixed race 3% Latino 8% White
13%
Dissatisfied (n=15)
Ability/Sexual Orientation and Military LGBTQ 4% Disabled 0.3% Over 55 years-old 8% Veterans 2% 1
Table 1: Rank Composition of Communication Team
Rank
Racial/Ethnic Minority
Female
Senior Management
8.44%
36.33%
Managerial Employee
9.65%
43.17%
Non-managerial nonadministrative staff
13.22%
41.417%
Support/Administrative Staff
11.39%
41.99%
FY2014 Diversity in Communication Team Hiring
POSITIVE PERCEPTIONS OF INCLUSIVENESS WITHIN INDUSTRY
Overall, most Page Members’ perceptions are positive in relation to the experiences of racial and ethnic minorities. About 70% of the 77 organizations reported being satisfied with their unit’s level with inclusivity:
In FY14, 82.3% of the participating member organizations had searches for professional (non-administrative) employees.
Satisfied (n=30)
• In total, 61 organizations (93.8%) had candidates from racial and/ or ethnic minority groups in their candidate pool(s).
Somewhat satisfied (n=24)
• 48 organizations (73.8%) hired at least one racial and/or ethnic minority for a professional communication (non-administrative) position. (The results do not reflect the rank of the professional hires.)
Neutral/neither satisfied nor dissatisfied(n=18) Somewhat dissatisfied(n=4)
Dissatisfied (n=1)
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Table 2: Perception of Inclusivity within Industry
Statement
Strongly Somewhat Disagree Disagree
Neutral Somewhat Strongly Agree Agree
Racial/ethnic minorities are just as likely to be given mainstream/general market projects as they are to work on projects related to their personal racial/ethnic market/media.
4 (6.5%)
9 10 (14.5%) (16.1%)
Minorities have to work harder than non-minority employees to advance.
5
36 (58.1%)
5 (8.1%)
10 (16.1%)
7 7 (11.3%) (11.3%)
34 (54.8%)
2 (3.2%)
When compared to the 2015 study conducted by the City College of New York, Page members’ perceptions are opposite of recent reported experiences of Hispanic & African American professionals with 1-5 years of experience in four areas: equality in qualifications for positions, slow moving tracks, overlooked for promotions and genuine respect. Table 3: Page Member Vs. CCNY Young Professionals
Perception
Page Members
CCNY Young Professional
87.3% Disagreed
45.4% agreed they personally had to be
91.9% Disagreed
84% reported sometimes or frequently being put on slow moving tacks 22.2% report they were overlooked for promotion 57% feel they are treated with genuine respect
Racial/ethnic minorities are put on slow moving tracks in their jobs.
53 (85.5%)
4 (6.5%)
2 (3.2%)
3 (4.8%)
0 (0.0%)
Racial/ethnic minorities are relegated to more superficial tasks.
53 (85.5%)
3 (4.8%)
5 (8.1%)
1 (1.6%)
0 (0.0%)
Minorities must be more qualified than Cau-casian Americans for same position Racial/ethnic minorities are put on slow moving tracks
Racial/ethnic minorities are often overlooked for promotion.
47 (75.8%)
8 (12.9%)
2 (3.2%)
5 (8.1%)
0 (0.0%)
Racial/ethnic minorities are overlooked for promotions
8.1% Agreed
Racial/ethnic minorities are not treated with genuine respect by their colleagues.
54 (87.1%)
4 (6.5%)
3 (4.8%)
1 (1.6%)
0 (0.0%)
93.5% Agreed
Social isolation is common among minorities.
36 (58.1%)
14 (22.6%)
6 (9.7%)
6 (9.7%)
0 (0.0%)
Racial/ethnic minorities are treated with genuine respect by their colleagues
Racial/ethnic minorities are not able to influence decisions.
48 (78.7%)
9 (14.8%)
4 (6.6%)
0 (0.0%)
0 (0.0%)
Racial/ethnic minorities are usually among the 54 last to know about important changes. (87.1%)
5 (8.1%)
3 (4.8%)
0 (0.0%)
0 (0.0%)
Racial/ethnic minorities are not usually invited 53 to important meetings. (85.5%)
3 (4.8%)
5 (8.1%)
1 (1.6%)
0 (0.0%)
Employees from underrepresented groups are often invited to participate in meetings with management higher than their direct supervisors.
4 (6.5%)
14 10 (22.6%) (16.1%)
13 (21.0%)
21 (33.9%)
DIVERSITY MANDATE Overall, the participants in the interviews felt they had a diversity mandate to make progress, although most do not define what progress means and are hesitant to define numerical goals. The majority of survey respondents accordingly reported having diversity and inclusion goals.
79.2% (n=61) reported that D&I goals and objectives fit very well or completely into the character of their company.
74.4% (n=58) indicated that D&I goals and objectives fit very well or completely into their company’s overall vision/mission.
62.8% (n=49) reported to have D&I goals.
One corporate member explained that as they try to reach African American and Hispanic new markets, they want their communications’ team demographics to especially reflect those target markets. Therefore, progress on the goal is making their primarily Caucasian non-Hispanic team include more African American and Hispanic professionals and lead to the rest of the enterprise in reflecting those target demographics.
“ If [our organizations] expect to be an engaged enterprise, to be successful with all stakeholders, or at least have relationships with all stakeholders, we have to look like the world that we operate in,” says a CCO of a global corporation.
Sample Diversity and Inclusion Goals
While satisfaction was low for diversity within the Page membership, several respondents listed their diversity and inclusion goals for the year. Some examples include:
Throughout our interviews, participants expressed that a quota did not define diversity; however, conversations consistently illustrated that where there was no quota goal there was a problem with a constructive definition. Nor did participants desire to have a numerical goal often stating that a reflection of their market, potential markets or community is necessary but is too much of a moving target to quantify. “…so diversity in the US is everything you would expect it to be. I hate to use this phrase because it sounds impersonal to track categories on female, African American, Latino, Asian American’ all of those kinds of traditional categories that are monitored by companies. … Diversity is also about having people of different mindsets and cultures and, for us, globally, diversity is also about different kinds of skill sets and generational attitudes. … but it’s having a good spread of people who are in senior positions and people who are in more junior positions across the team.” says one CCO of a global corporation.
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• “Strive for a workforce that reflects the population of our ome market
as a minimum - and ultimately, reflects the population of our client base, which is national.”
• “40% of job applicants interviewed must be diverse above the manager level.”
• “Make sure final slates have at least two diverse candidates; improve diversity among management level employees; and achieve top scores for inclusion and diversity in employee engagement survey.”
• “Drive employee engagement through improved Employee Network effectiveness; Elevate diversity brand awareness; Attract, develop and retain diverse talent; Enhance diversity training.”
D&I Relation to Mission
Two organizations listed in the survey their diversity goals and missions as relating heavily to inclusion:
“Our diversity mission: To champion an inclusive culture that embraces individual differences and unique needs while driving innovation; To leverage the diverse talent of our workforce to enhance business growth; To ensure our workforce is reflective of the global marketplace and the divergent populations we serve; To cultivate relationships with strategic business partners that will ensure our ability to access, attract, and retain a diverse workforce.”
“[Our agency’s] mission requires us to ensure we have a culture that enables us to create and sustain a new kind of network that mirrors and understands diverse communities and helps our clients communicate in more targeted ways. We must attract and retain a multicultural workforce and support new kinds of affiliations and alliances. Our goals are: Raising Awareness & Levels of Respect: internal and external efforts and behaviors that support creating, maintaining and celebrating a climate of inclusion. Effective Talent Management: strategic and targeted efforts to engage, attract, secure and retain the best most diverse talent in the marketplace across all levels. This applies to recruitment, talent development and training, and mentoring at all levels. Community Engagement: increased partnership and support of professional organizations, support for our employees’ interests and causes, and external efforts that support the communities in which we do business.”
DEFINITIONS OF D&I STILL FOCUS ON PEOPLE OF COLOR Overall Interview Participants Said Their Diversity Mandate Relates to People of Color • More often than not, the term ‘people of color’ was used as a
population of reference.
• However, in defining diversity the traditional categories were
consistently referenced.
• Similarly, thinking about the population of an organization
was likened to mirroring the population of the community the organization serves.
Survey Respondents’ Diversity Definitions:
Race n=74 92%
n=72, 87.8%
Gender
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Ethnicity
Age
n=72, 87.8%
n=55, 67.1%
n=57, 69.5%
Disability
Sexual orientation
Veteran n=43, 52.4%
n=52, 63.4%
n=29, 35.4%
Language
n=26, 31.7%
Religion
Important Aspects of Diversity to Page Members in Recruiting and Retaining Talent
Survey respondents overwhelmingly reported gender and race being the two most important aspects of diversity in recruiting and retaining talent. However, interview respondents discussed gender and LGBTQ resources to a lesser extent. Indeed, people with a disability proved a difficult population to conceptualize, for some interviewed, beyond the physical constraints of a job. Additionally, tracking and identifying LGBTQ persons and persons with a non-physical disability was considered difficult because they would have to self-identify in order for the company to track those populations. Race n=63, 90% Gender n=64, 90.1% Ethnicity
n=58, 84.1%
Disability n=43, 63.2%
Importance of Diverse Category in Recruiting and Retaining Talent
Age n=54, 79.4%
Religion n=20, 29.4%
Veteran status n=50, 73.5%
Language n=55, 79.7% Sexual orientation n=43, 63.2%
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LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY, LITTLE MEASUREMENT & SLOW MOVEMENT IN ACHIEVING D&I GOALS While 62.8% (n=49) reported to have D&I goals, D&I Measurement & Accountability were the weakest area for Page members surveyed and interviewed.
1 2 3 4 5
63.9% (n=46) reported that their CEO and other members of the C-suite placed a very high level of importance on diversity and inclusion.
72.2% (n=52) do not have D&I goal achievements tied to their executive compensation.
Slightly more than half, 57.7% (n=45) said their senior leadership team placed a very high level of importance on D&I.
85.5% (n=65) do not have D&I goal achievements tied to their leadership team’s compensation either. Only 39.7% (n=31) claimed that they have integrated a comprehensive D&I strategy very well or completely well into their overall business strategy.
Satisfaction with Strategies Importance of Strategies
All of the best practices outlined by the diversity and inclusion literature were being implemented within Page member organizations, and 13 of those strategies had above a 90% rating as being important strategies in achieving D&I goals. The top three in importance included:
98.7%
Senior leaders are committed to enforcing diversity and inclusion policies
Table 4: The Importance of Tactics / Initiatives to Achieving D&I Goals D&I Tactics or Initiatives
Slightly Important to Very Important
74.6%
97.3%
Affirmative Action (AA) and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) pro-grams in place
Leaders are visibly involved with diversity-related activities
Recruiting at predominantly minority colleges and universities
80.7%
Using minority recruiters
80.8%
97.3%
Executives have succession plans to ensure a diverse pool of qualified candidates for executive positions
Training for managers to minimizes discrimination in hiring
90.6%
Providing funding support or time off with compensation for employees to participate in external networking / affinity/ resource programs that connect professionals who share a similar identity or cultural background, so they can share information, seek support and get career advice
78.7%
None of the strategies are being used by the majority of survey respondents. However, the strategies those surveyed reported implementing with the greatest satisfaction included:
Diversity/inclusion director/champion
Diversity/inclusion mission/vision
Competency-based recruitment
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The following chart illustrates valid percentages of survey participants feeling to what extent each tactic or initiative is important to achieving their diversity and inclusion goals.
47.6% 46.3% 45.1%
D&I Tactics or Initiatives
Slightly Important to Very Important
Practices administered by leadership and focused on increasing and maintaining diversity in all ranks of employment
90.8%
Recruiting at regional and national meetings of minority professional organizations
83.8%
Including minority individuals in photos, videos, or graphics in recruitment materials Raising entry level salaries for talent recruited from under-represented groups Establishing a system (on-line, off-line, or both) that allows management to assess employee knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA), and track employee development to ensure that job training has met development goals
86.5% 44.4% 84.0%
Table 4: The Importance of Tactics / Initiatives to Achieving D&I Goals
D&I Tactics or Initiatives
Using minority publications and websites for employee recruitment
77.1%
Using professional and general market media outlets that target to minority job applicants
84.9%
Communicating the importance and value of diversity and inclusion to all job applicants Networking /affinity/resource programs that connect employees who share a similar identity or cultural background, so they can share information, seek support and get career advice
93.3%
Mentoring programs focused on developing women, ethnic minorities, and employees from other underrepresented groups
96.1%
D&I Tactics or Initiatives
15
Slightly Important to Very Important
D&I Tactics or Initiatives
91.0%
Slightly Important to Very Important
Obtaining diverse suppliers/venders from under-represented groups
85.4%
Training designed to promote and support a culture of diversity and inclusion (examples include on-line modules, classroom-based training, videos, discussions, role-plays, simulations, exercises, etc.) Training to affect employee attitudes toward people from other under-represented groups Senior leaders committed to enforcing diversity and inclusion policies Formal statements of diversity and inclusion included in meetings, newsletters, and traditional and social media publications
96.2% 87.0%
Slightly Important to Very Important
Dedicating a special council or committee to identify and remove barriers to diversity in retention and advancement
80.2%
Training to raise awareness about diversity issues and help employees work with others who are different from themselves
96.2%
Employee participation in task forces, work groups or boards to identify diversity and inclusion issues and develop initiatives Leaders visibly involved with diversity-related activities
92.1%
D&I Tactics or Initiatives
97.3%
Slightly Important to Very Important
97.3%
98.7%
Having a succession plan to ensure a diverse pool of qualified candidates for executive positions
93.4%
Training to affect employee attitudes towards ethnic or racial minorities
93.6%
Training for management to minimize discrimination in promotion
94.7%
Supportive resources provided to increase the visibility of diversity and inclusion initiatives inside and outside the organization
96.1%
Satisfaction with Strategies Table 5: Implementation Stage of D&I Actions, Tactics, Strategies, and Initiatives
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Diversity Activities
Implemented Implemented with Currently and satisfied unsatisfactory planning with results results or needs refinement
Unsure how to address
Not feasible
Not Would like interested assistance
Diversity Activities
Implemented Implemented with Currently and satisfied unsatisfactory planning with results results or needs refinement
Diversity/inclusion mission/vision statement
38 (46.3%)
2 (2.4%)
10 (12.2%) 3 (3.7%)
2 (2.4%)
5 (6.1%)
0 (0.0%)
Minority executive training program
10 (12.2%)
2 (2.4%)
Diversity/Inclusion council or management team
35(42.7%)
5 (6.1%)
8 (9.8%)
4(4.9%)
0 (0.0%)
10 (12.2%) 1 (1.2%)
Employee diversity training programs
28 (34.1%)
Measurable diversity/inclusion initiative
25 (30.5%)
8 (9.8%)
15 (18.3%) 6 (7.3%)
0 (0.0%)
7 (8.5%)
Managerial training related to diversity
Budget for diversity/ inclusion initiative
25 (30.5%)
7 (8.5%)
11 (13.4%) 4 (4.9%)
2 (2.4%)
11 (13.4%) 0 (0.0%)
Diversity/inclusion director/champion
39 (47.6%)
2 (2.4%)
8 (9.8%)
0 (0.0%)
11 (13.4%) 0 (0.0%)
Diversity/inclusion support staff
33 (40.2%)
Cultural/diversity/ inclusion audit/ assessment
28 (34.1%)
Diversity/inclusion reporting strategy/ system
25 (30.5%)
7 (8.5%)
10 (12.2%) 6 (7.3%)
1 (1.2%)
8 (9.8%)
2 (2.4%)
Minority university partnerships
25 (30.5%)
8 (9.8%)
9 (11.0%)
6 (7.3%)
2 (2.4%)
6 (7.3%)
2 (2.4%)
Mentoring program
32 (39.0%)
6 (7.3%)
10 (12.2%) 5 (6.1%)
1 (1.2%)
4 (4.9%)
2 (2.4%)
Internal minority networks or affinity groups
32 (39.0%)
9 (11.0%)
7 (8.5%)
6 (7.3%)
1 (1.2%)
5 (6.1%)
1 (1.2%)
Professional minority association partnerships
26 (31.7%)
8 (9.8%)
9 (11.0%)
7 (8.5%)
1 (1.2%)
9 (11.0%)
3 (3.7%)
5 (6.1%)
2 (2.4%)
5 (6.1%)
1 (1.2 %)
3 (3.7%)
11 (13.4%) 8 (9.8%)
3 (3.7%)
2 (2.4%)
1 (1.2%)
11 (13.4%) 0 (0.0%)
8 (9.8%)
2 (2.4%)
Unsure how to address
Not feasible
Not Would like interested assistance
12 (14.6%) 14 (17.1%)
5 (6.1%)
11 (13.4%) 3 (3.7%)
6 (7.3%)
9 (11.0%)
6 (7.3%)
1 (1.2%)
7 (8.5%)
3 (3.7%)
28 (34.1%)
5 (6.1%)
11 (13.4%) 6 (7.3%)
0 (0.0%)
6 (7.3%)
3 (3.7%)
Employee training on communicating/ interacting with people who are different from themselves Seminars about different cultures and ethnic groups/media
25 (30.5%)
5 (6.1%)
8 (9.8%)
7 (8.5%)
2 (2.4%)
7 (8.5%)
3 (3.7%)
20 (24.4%)
6 (7.3%)
9 (11.0%)
8 (9.8%)
1 (1.2%)
12 (14.6%) 2 (2.4%)
Competency-based recruitment
37 (45.1%)
4 (4.9%)
6 (7.3%)
7 (8.5%)
1 (1.2%)
6 (7.3%)
Diversity/inclusion compensation/ incentives for managers
9 (11.0%)
2 (2.4%)
7 (8.5%)
17 (20.7%)
4 (4.9%)
19 (23.2%) 1 (1.2%)
0 (0.0%)
Leadership
Survey respondents emphasized consistently that leadership support and commitment is critical to implementing strategies and achieving D&I goals. Interview participants attribute their organizations’ progress to: “Strong leadership from agency executives and our current senior team members who are representative of diverse populations.” “Highly visible executive champions who serve as role models.”
Participants are planning to implement all of the best practice strategies with these being the top strategies in the planning or refinement stages: • Measurable diversity/inclusion initiative (18.3% planning; 9.8% refining) • Minority executive training program (14.6% planning; 2.6% refining) • Budget for diversity/inclusion initiative (13.4% planning; 8.5% refining) • Cultural/diversity/inclusion audit/assessment (13.4% planning; 6.1% refining)
“Top leadership team sets tone, models and walks talk.” “Visible, strong support from the top who view it as a business imperative.” “Very active senior level involvement including a senior leadership team member fully dedicated to this initiative.”
Least Interest in Strategies
Survey participants expressed least interest in the following strategies:
Diversity/inclusion compensation/incentives for managers
For example, one corporation that has a history of engaging in mergers and acquisitions, the CCO must be engaged as a diversity champion to ensure the grassroots employee resource groups that create an inclusive environment receive consistent support as the corporation transitions. This CCO takes this role as a champion very seriously. One agency president shared strong feelings that the mandate must come from the top: including his office leads, empowering a diversity task force, learning about diversity and inclusion best practices, understanding the agency’s climate across offices and creating real metrics to move the needle. Granted this agency is in the development stage of a robust D&I strategy, it has begun with a collective proactive approach.
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Seminars about different cultures and ethnic groups/media Minority executive training program
23.2% 14.6%
13.4%
INTEREST
Resources Dedicated to D&I Efforts
Of those surveyed who dedicate some resources to D&I, workforce retention overall received the most resources when considering budget, dedicated professionals, support/administrative staff, training and other resources. However, paradoxically, workforce retention ranks high for receiving no resources within 15.9% of Page member organizations (behind gender with 18.3% receiving no resources and in alignment with pipeline and mobility which receives no resources in 15.9% of Page member organizations). A dedicated professional is the most often used strategy in attracting talent and talent development receives the highest budget among Page members. Overall, members believe the resources being dedicated to D&I budget, training time, dedicated professionals, and support staff is at least minimally sufficient.
Least Feasible Strategies
Of each of the strategies listed, these three were considered the least feasible to be implemented by survey participants:
FEASIBILITY
Table 6: Resources for D&I Efforts
6.1%
Minority executive training program
Diversity/inclusion compensation/incentives for managers
3.7%
Diversity/inclusion support staff
Despite the D&I literature stating that tying compensation (including bonuses) to achieving D&I goals is one of the best strategies, this strategy was the least used among survey and interview participants.
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4.9%
D&I Efforts
No resources
Budget
Dedicated Support/
Training Time
Other resources
Attracting/ recruiting talent
7 (8.5%)
25 (30.5%)
31 (37.8%)
15 (18.3%) 15 (18.3%)
12 (14.6%)
Talent development
7 (8.5%)
26 (31.7%)
25 (30.5%)
16 (19.5%) 25 (30.5%)
9 (11.0%)
Pipeline and mobility
13 (15.9%)
17 (20.7%)
20 (24.4%)
14 (17.1%) 14 (17.1%)
12 (14.6%)
Middle management leadership
11 (13.4%)
19 (23.2%)
21 (25.6%)
13 (15.9%) 22 (26.8%)
10 (12.2%)
Workforce retention
13 (15.9%)
17 (20.7%)
25 (30.5%)
14 (17.1%) 17 (20.7%)
9 (11.0%)
Cultural appreciation
9 (11.0%)
21 (25.6%)
18 (22.0%)
8 (9.8%)
14 (17.1%)
18 (22.0%)
Gender diversity
15 (18.3%)
19 (23.2%)
19 (23.2%)
11 (13.4%) 15 (18.3%)
13 (15.9%)
Creating an inclusive work environment
5 (6.1%)
25 (30.5%)
25 (30.5%)
17 (20.7%) 30 (36.6%)
17 (20.7%)
BEST PRACTICES FOR D&I RECRUITMENT & RETENTION Two key factors that contribute to Page members’ most effective D&I-related activities:
Table 7: Sufficiency of Resources for D&I Efforts Resources
Completely insufficient
Somewhat insufficient
Minimally sufficient
Moderately sufficient
Completely sufficient
Budget
7 (11.5%)
6 (9.8%)
19 (31.1%)
18 (29.5%)
11 (18.0%)
Training time
4 (6.8%)
12 (20.3%)
13 (22.0%)
21 (35.6%)
9 (15.3%)
Dedicated professional
8 (13.3%)
7 (11.7%)
15 (25.0%)
14 (23.3%)
16 (26.7%)
Staff support
6 (10.5%)
7 (12.3%)
16 (28.1%)
14 (24.6%)
14 (24.6%)
01
Leadership support and commitment
Some CCOs have taken matters into their own hands, establishing personal connections with different ethnic and minority professional and networking groups. 02
Dedicated effort focused on employee engagement
Those interviewed said that to make diversity and inclusion efforts successful, organizations must have a dedicated effort focused on employee engagement. “(Employees need to) feel accepted for their talents, and not for their ‘diverse-ness’,” said one survey respondent.
Recruitment Practices In a bid to change the population landscape, recruitment practices are a priority focus. The issue, as articulated in the interviews, is where to find talent. Senior-level communication management depends heavily on recruiters to source a diverse talent pool. However, those interviewed expressed real concern about the return on investment in these recruiters. Talent acquisition was a challenge that some confronted through training their recruiters to present a better slate. Within most corporate communications departments, the turn-over is so low that few opportunities to recruit from the outside exist. Therefore, improving the diversity within comms creates an additional challenge. Whereas in high turn over functions in corporations such as sales, more aggressive recruitment occurs. Unfortunately, when CCOs search to fill the openings, they tended to go back to the same sources, which lack diversity.
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Large agencies, particularly within holding companies, benefit more from higher turnover and a network to access more diverse talent pools including in-house diversity fellowship pools and partnerships with diverse populations.
Recruitment Through Institutional Partnership:
• At the entry level as well as for internships Several universities including Howard, Hampton, Maryland, Syracuse, Florida A&M, Northwestern, Penn State, Georgetown, University Texas at Austin, University of Southern California at Austin, and Florida International University were mentioned. Also mentioned, as well as the LAGRANT Foundation, and Black Millenniums (Black men in communication), as organizational sources for diverse talent at the entry level. • For mid-level careers the following professional organizations were mentioned: the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Public Relations Society of America, the Association of Latino Professionals for America, the Black Public Relations Society, and Color Comm. • For senior-level managers, the Public Relations Society of America and the Arthur Page Society were the only two named. They found the greatest success with these groups because of the commitment of the professionals to professional development and don’t need to be trained. One Global Diversity Best Pratice Strategy – Grow Your Own Talent “[The] program was all about identifying talent to fulfill our global growth needs. Our Chinese market was expanding, and we wanted to identify people. Chinese undergraduates who could work for one in year either in the US or in one of our European offices, and then move on to one of our offices in China after their time here is up. …, they also were exposed to agency life and senior level mentors [in the US] and the same level of professional development as the fellows,” says an agency representative.
Fraternities and Sororities-Recuriting Pool
One best practice is to recruit through the National Pan Hellenic Council Fraternities and Sororities (historically black) as “they stay together from a social standpoint or professional standpoint post college.” Therefore, recruiters and hiring managers can get into a network where they have some connection with these high performing, diverse candidates. 25
01 Retention through Two-directional Reaffirmation:
• For larger corporations interviewed, inclusion is set as a core value, thus ensuring support for minority and under-represented employees. • As an organizational goal, diversity and inclusion must be supported through internal initiatives, and reaffirmation of these goals can be exercised from a top-down model. • CCOs and agency presidents find greater success with retention when they take on personal engagements; others champion organizational programs, groups, and initiatives.
02
Retention through Affinity Groups and Training:
• Employee resource groups / affinity groups are most successful when they are grass-roots in orientation and enable internal connection and support for minority employees. “Employee resource groups happen by employees who bring them to life, who come together, organize and say we would like to have a resource group,” says one CCO.
• Training programs were also noted as excellent resources for internal growth and transition for all employees especially minority Training programs, both in-house and through professional organizations, are valued by employees, especially minorities. Offering professional development opportunities through external organizations can often help minority team members locate a broader support system. One agency shared how it sponsors minority female leaders to attend ColorComm, which helped cultivate additional success and coping strategies with other female executives and leaders in a safe environment.
Corporations Lead in Assessing D&I • Evaluation enables an organization to garner the effectiveness and success of initiatives. • While evaluation methodologies varied, the driving force included feedback, compliance and change. • Evaluation also includes reporting as a method of garnering progress and feedback. • Organizational surveys and climate surveys were done to provide information about the diversity and inclusion within an organization. Capitalizing of an Integrity Hotline One corporation has an Integrity hotline that enables employees and others “to report any financial issues that the company is not aware of that employees might be doing… because we don’t restrict it to financial related calls coming in, we open it up to any concern. So we monitor any calls that are coming in especially around discrimination, employee relations matters.” This hotline provides a safezone to express concerns. Lower complaints could show progress, explains a corporate CCO.
• Some organizations go as far as rewarding leadership and other employees. For leadership, added compensation may be attributed to diversity and inclusion progress within their function or department; whereas for employees, awards may be used as incentives. Recognition One major corporation uses its regular awards structure as an opportunity to recognize success in diversity and inclusion but doesn’t label it as a formal diversity award. Instead, those being recognized include supporting the inclusive aspect of the corporate values. “There’s a structure to (the rewards and recognition program). Some of them are just a pat on the back, some of them have money incorporated, some of them are given by different leaders at different levels of the company,” says a CCO.
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METHODOLOGY The Arthur W. Page Society members representing large U.S. corporations or major public relations agencies (approximately 400) were invited to participate in the survey launched after the Page Society’s spring 2015 conference. Data were collected between June and September 2015. The research team accomplished a final sample of 82 Page member organizations, achieving a response rate of approximately 20%. However, participants were given the option of skipping questions; therefore, some questions have fewer than 82 responses. One representative (public relations leader, CCO, or CDO) from each participating organization took part in an online survey. From this survey, qualitative interviews were conducted with organizations that reported being satisfied with their diversity and inclusion progress and initiatives in order to better understand their approach that reflects best practices and lessons for improving the status of D&I in the public relations industry. In total, we interviewed 17 selected members between August and November 2015. These interviews represented top public relations or communications leaders from four agencies within a holding or parent company, one independently-owned agency and 12 US-based corporations. All participating members were recruited through a solicitation e-mail that explained the purpose of the research, the confidentiality measures that the study took, and the benefits and risks of their participation in the study. All interviews were recorded digitally and verbatim transcribed with the permission granted by the participants. Analysis of the quantitative portion was analyzed using SPSS. A thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative interviews.
The 82 survey participating organizations consisted of:
14 (17.7%)
agencies or communications firms within a holding or parent company
7 (8.9%)
finance/finance services
7 (8.9%) independently-owned agencies or communications firms (not part of a holding company)
3 (3.8%) technology companies
2 (2.5%)
media, newspaper, publishing, broadcasting or related services
1 (1.3%) insurance company
1 (1.3%) 1 (1.3%) 18 (22.8%) 27
mining, oil or gas company
2 (2.5%)
government organizations
transportation company
1 (1.3%) utilities company
others
3(3.6%)
1(1.3%) construction company
9 (11.4%) manufacturing (durable goods and non-durable goods) companies
1 (1.3%) telecommunications company
6 (7.6%) health organizations
5 (6.3%)
wholesale/retail trade companies
member organizations did not report the genre of their main business
On average, there are 14,231US-based employees in each member organization (SD = 52,869.45).
CONTACT Dr. Rochelle L. Ford, APR rlford@syr.edu Dr. Hua Jiang hjiang07@syr.edu
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